Abstract. Problem Statement: The Loddon Shire Council identified a need to increase awareness of and tourism in the Shire in the 18 – 25 year-old demographic to increase cash flow in the region, which was suffering from years of drought and decreasing population. The floods of January 2011 increased the need for this tourist flow, yet hindered the achievement of this, as the council had to focus on repairing the flood damaged town.
Organisers of the Project: Student Ambassador Leadership Program (SALP) Group 4 which consisted of: Kathryn St John, Jack Fang, Naomi Burchett, Nick Yee and Violacea Wihardjo. The SALP program is an extracurricular activity run through the LIVE Unit of Melbourne University, in which students undertake a community based project with a partner organisation, along-side partaking in leadership and team-work workshops.
This Project: A pilot exchange program between the University of Melbourne and Boort Secondary College. A diverse group of students from the University (accompanied by the organisers) travelled to the Loddon Shire in September for three days to experience what the Shire has to offer, from sheep shearing to agri-tourism. In return a group of six year 10 and 11 students from Boort P-12 College (with a teacher from the college) travelled to Melbourne to experience life at Melbourne University and living in the city of Melbourne.
Project Objectives: Objectives for the Melbourne to Loddon leg of the exchange were:
To promote the Loddon Shire as an interesting and enjoyable place to holiday
To promote the Loddon Shire and a valuable and rewarding place to live and work
Through the above two points, create a people and cash flow of 18 – 25 year-olds that will provide support to a flood affected community.
Objectives for the Loddon to Melbourne leg of the exchange were:
Break down perceived stereotypes of both the city and the country by creating relationships though this reciprocal exchange.
Introduce Boort P-12 students to the sporting, cultural and academic aspects of Melbourne University.
Make tertiary education more accessible to rural students.
Key Results:
Melbourne student's experience in the Loddon Shire was rated on average 8.5/10 and participant statements indicate that they wish to return to the Shire.
On average participants spend $79.50 on souvenirs alone.
Boort P-12 students indicated that after their experience in Melbourne they felt more comfortable within the large campus of Melbourne University and in the city of Melbourne.
In reflective paragraph of their experience, a Boort student said that the exchange made her excited about attending university and she was now highly considering Melbourne University.
The Loddon Shire Council indicated, alongside the LIVE Unit, that they are interested in having a discussion to continue (as possibly expand) this project in coming years.
CONTEXT
Context.
The Loddon Shire1 is situated in Central Victoria and consists of rural country towns such as Bridgewater, Boort, Inglewood, Pyramid Hill, Wedderburn, covering an area of 6, 700 square kilometers and has a population of 8, 000. In January 2011 this region was geatly affected by flooding, some areas being left requiring large amounts of repair work. In April 2011 staff from the University of Melbourne travelled to Wedderburn and met with various Loddon Shire Council departments, to discuss how they could best assist with the flood recovery. Resulting from these meetings, the University created a suite of projects that enaged University support and intellect to assist the recovery of this region. One area addressed by the projects was that of the Loddon Tourism Strategy 2011 – 2016. The Tourism Strategy highlighted the need to increase the flow of tourism through the area, especially in the 18 – 25 year-old demographic and the suggestion was to do this by creating an easily accessible and appealing individual tourism website. This project was handled by the LIVE department and passed on to the Student Ambassaor Leadership Program (SALP) in which students work with a partner organisation to create a project benefiting the community. SALP Group 4 was chosen to take up the project. Group 4 consisted of 5 students from diverse backgrounds with different skills and strengths:
Jack Fang (Bachelor of Commerce, Actuarial Studies2)
Kathryn St John (Bachelor of Commerce, Microfinance and Economics??)
Naomi Burchett (Bachelor of Arts, Psychology/Linguistics)
Nicholas Yee (Bachelor of Biomedicine, ??)
Violacea Wihardjo (Bachelor of Science, Food Sciences???)
The key aims of the team, within the parameters of building a website, were to promote the Loddon Shire, make it more accessible to a younger demographic and thus help to support local businesses. However, there was miscommunication, and the result was that the Loddon Shire required that the website be built from scratch. Since Group 4 had no experience building websites, instead possessing strong financial, literacy and organisational abilities. Their desire to help people in need and create a project that involved event planning evolved into the Loddon – Melbourne City – Country Exchange, a program with positive long-running effects.
1Unsure whether to introduce Loddon Shir here? Ie- what it actually is?
2I don't know anyone's majors.....if you want to keep this section, then add your major in! I think we should keep this section, cause we need to have a little something about us somewhere.
PROJECT JUSTIFICATION
Problem statement
The problem that the City – Country Exchange addressed was an area that was identified within the greater difficulties of the Loddon Shire. Primarily, the Shire has a decreasing, slowly aging population. As a farming community, this, paired with the drought, meant that many farms closed down and town numbers dwindled further. Many towns in the Shire, such as Pyramid Hill, only have approximately 500 residents and would be unable to withstand any more losses, making the Loddon Shire no long be viable. The area needed to diversify its income (it had relied more or less completely on farming thus far), and tourism was identified as a major area of interest as it would not only garner people's interest in the shire, but would bring in a cash flow which would help diversify business opportunities within the Shire. These hardships were compounded by the floods of 2011 which placed tourism plans onto the back burner and caused severe damage to many already struggling businesses. The City – Country exchange addresses the problem of tourism, specifically increasing tourism in and awareness of the Loddon Shire in the 18 – 25 year old demographic, as council identified this age bracket as one that is able to bring in revenue and has the possibility of returning often to the Shire for holidays or even a lifestyle change.
Priority needs
As of April 2011 these needs are ranked in order of high to low priority.
Repair damage from floods (initial - removal flood water and debris, fixture of infrastructure, re plantation of farms).
Economic recovery from floods (use of insurance, selling produce, making back losses).
Creating a strong tourist flow in the Shire - focus on younger demographic (making sure people don't stay away after the floods when the district needs them most)
Ensuring that the tourism flow is sustainable and stable, preferably growing (generating cash flow, continuing in following years from initial program)
Showcasing Loddon Shire as a place to live (encouraging young people with tertiary education to come back to/come to live in the country) thus increasing/stabilising town sizes.
The proposed approach (type of intervention)
The City – Country Exchange was the chosen strategy for the improvement of dot points 3, 4 and 5 above. The exchange began as a pilot program in 2011 and if successful, after evaluation, it would grow in size and scope, continuing annually. The exchange would consist of 6 Melbourne University students (from all faculties, local and international) spending 3 days in Boort during the holidays in September and in return, 6 year 10 and 11 students (and one teacher from Boort P – 12 College) spending 3 days at Melbourne University in December. Both times the students were accompanied by SALP Group 4 members. An initial 'fact-finding' trip was also undertaken by the group to plan the Boort exchange.
The exchange of students to Boort improvements such as:
Introducing international and local Melbourne University students to the Loddon Shire, sparking their interest in the region.
Directly targeting the 18 – 25 year old demographic for tourism in the Shire, as the students were inspired by their time there and told their friends this. In this future it is hoped that this will create a 'ripple affect', informing more young people of the holiday potential of the Shire.
The interest in the program was sufficiently large enough that there were at least twice as many applications for the exchange than there were places, demonstrating that there is a strong interest in the program and that some of the applicants who didn't get in may try again next year.
By introducing participants in the exchange to local business owners and community members, a sense of familiarity was built between the students and they Shire, planting the seed that it may be a good place for them to live in the future.
The implementing organisation
Primarily SALP Group 4 implemented this project. As noted above, the group came from a diverse set of backgrounds and courses, resulting in a diverse skill set that covered from the financial to the social aspects of the project. Individually, and as a group, the following capabilities gave us the capacity to run this project:
Attending at least once weekly meetings.
This meant that we were continually in discussion about the project and subsequently it never lost momentum. As everyone was extremely busy, it kept us in touch ensured that every week at least one small task was completed. It further provided time for strategic planning (such as risk mitigation) and also allowed us to keep dreaming up improvements for our exchange.
Maintaining communication:
At the beginning of the project, the group set up a wiki and a group email. This meant that minutes from each meeting were placed on the wiki and everyone could stay up-to-date. Furthermore, the wiki was a place where ideas and project plans could be shared and edited, whilst being relatively user friendly. It was a useful resource as it contained information in the majority of the project and could be used as reference by all team members. The shared group email provided transparency and a straightforward way for external parties to communicate with the group. Using private email between the group members was often a good way of informing others of a new document on the wiki or for gathering opinions on any aspect of the project, if it was something that couldn't wait until the weekly meeting.
Division of workload:
The workload was divided in 2 different ways, by strengths and by time. The former refers to the group splitting into 2 smaller groups (Kathryn and Jack, Vio and Naomi) to complete tasks together. These smaller groups worked on tasks that were suited to their skill sets and was an efficient way of dividing up tasks that were too big for one person, but did not need the whole of the group's attention. The latter refers to balancing needs of the project with the time demands on the individuals. For instance, when Naomi and Vio were overseas, Kathryn and Jack did the majority of the initial research for the project and when they had heavy assessment demands, Vio and Naomi undertook tasks such as participant recruitment.
Individual skills that the group possessed that aided the project were strong budgeting skills, application writing and literary skills, good communication (both verbal and written) skills, enthusiasm and commitment to the project and the ability to listen to others and compromise.
The group was supported by the LIVE Unit at Melbourne University and by Robyn Vella of the Loddon Shire Council. This support was pivotal in the success of the program. The LIVE Unit provided support and advice for the group. This was useful if they were unsure of any aspect of the project or if they had a division of opinions that required the insight of a third party. The LIVE Unit also supplied a bank account for SALP Group 4 and helped the financial side of the project. Robyn Vella was a gateway into the Loddon Shire, introducing and teaching the group about the Shire, and providing opportunities for them to meet other contributors to the project, such as the principal of Boort P-12 College, Malcolm Goldsworthy.
Future groups that would be appropriate to run this program would ideally be SALP groups with a similar skill set and a firm commitment to the project. They would be ideal as they would have continued support from the LIVE Unit and the Loddon Shire Council as well as the parameters of the SALP program to provide support for development of the exchange.
If a SALP Group is unable to run this project, other contributors to the project, such as other programs within the the Loddon council, other programs within the LIVE department or a residential college may look at continuing the project, combining it with the former's interest for promoting tourism in the Loddon Shire and the latter two's interest in promoting the University of Melbourne.
Project Aims
Goal.
The goal of this project to establish an annual exchange program between students from the University of Melbourne and secondary schools in the Loddon Shire that will benefit the latter party by increasing awareness of the region as a place for tourism and through this channel, revenue for local businesses.
It is envisaged that this exchange will break down negative cultural stereotpyes between metropolitan and regional students, increase awareness of higher education opportunities for the secondary students, raise the prospect of young professionals working in rural areas and establish cross-culture networks of students, academics and business owners within the Loddon Shire.
Objectives.
Establishment of an annual exchange.
Objective One: Generate interest in exchange and recruit participants from both areas who will contribute to and benefit from the success of the exchange.
Objective Two: Create an itinerary for both legs of the exchange that showcases the best of both regions; ensure that this is diverse, informative and enjoyable.
Objective Three: Receive feedback from the participants and evaluate the project that it can be improved and continued in the future.
Break down of stereotypes and networking.
Objective One: Provide continuous opportunities for participants to meet on both exchanges to become familiar with one another and to create friendships.
Objective Two: Create opportunities for participants to meet business owners in the Loddon Shire and for secondary students to meet academic staff at the university to build stronger cross-culture networks.
Increasing professional development in rural areas and increasing tertiary prospects.
Objective One: Through discussion on exchange, alert university students to the need for young professionals in rural areas.
Obejctive Two: Introduce participants to the local communities of the Loddon Shire and promote the tight-knit and approachable nature of these communities.
Objective Three: Experience university classes and sports together and share stories between participants to familiarise students with the university as an institution and to create a feeling of familiarity within it.
Target Group
Target Group #1
Exchange students from the University of Melbourne.
Principally 6 students from any faculy and of any origin (international or local). Students should have an interest in rural Victoria and feel comfortable and are capable of being upstanding representatives of the University of Melbourne. Preferably they should come from a diverse range of courses and year levels to be able to widely promot the Loddon Shire among the student body upon their return.It is foreseeable that there will be a particular interest in future exchanges to recruit students with medical degrees and interests, as this is one of the priority areas in which the Loddon Shire would like to engage young professionals.
They key aim to benefit the exchange students is to ensure that they have the opportunity to broaden their horizons and move a step towards becoming the global citizens that Melbourne University aims for it's gradutes to be. This is done through 2 key ares:
Experience: the students will be given an opportunity to experience rural Australia as the may not have before. This will give them a broader and deeper understanding of Australia, as opposed to the rather metropolised account they are usually subject to.
Networking: the students will be able to meet not only students from other faculties that they don't usually get to meet, but they will be able to interact with business owners and residents of the Loddon Shire who have their own, unique stories to share.
Target Group #2
Business owners in the Loddon Shire.
Businesses, from agri-tourism providers to cafes and publicans, who are interested in having the Melbourne Exchange students visit them as arranged by Robyn Vella. A list of the businesses visited in the 2011 exchange are listed below:
Simply Green Tomatoes and Aussie Wool Quilts
Boort Commerical Hotel
Saulte Olivia
The Spanner Man
Akrasi Wines
The Railway Hotel
The Eucalyptus Stew Pot and Gold Panning
Inglewood Antique Shops
These businesses benefitted firstly from the revenue left behind by the participants when they brought souveniers. This benefit was deepened by the fact that some businesses were still trying to recover from the January 2011 floods. A further benefit for these businesses, and the Loddon Shire in general, was the positive feedback that the participants gave, which expressed their wish not only to return to the Loddon Shire (which would bring in further toursim revenue), but they wanted to inform their friends of the enjoyable time that they had had and encourage their friends to visit as well.
Target group #3
Exchange students from Boort P-12 College.
This target group, after feedback from the initial group, are students in year 10, who need the most information regarding tertiary study in terms of pre-requisite subjects and pathways. Also after feedback, it is preferable that this group does not exceed 6 students in size, as this number is one that allows the students to really get to know each-other and to be able to have a meaningful experience. The University requires that these students not be Kwong Lee Dow scholars and it is advisable that the students are at least considering the option of tertiary study. The demographics of the actual group other than the above are fairly relaxed, as the principal of Boort P-12 undertakes the application and selection process of these students.
The benefit for these students revolves around their introduction to the city of Melbourne and, in particular, the University of Melbourne. The city can appear overwhelming when rural students consider moving there as an option for tertiary study. By bringing the students to Melbourne and taking them on tours which include ativities that they already possitvely associate with the city (ie. shopping), it creates a sense of familiarity with the city. Further, introducing the participants to the Univeristy and sharing real student expereiences demonstrates how attending university can be a realistic goal and one that is accessible to them. It is also a way to promote the University and all that it has in terms of academic, social and sporting opportunities to these students.
Activity Plan + Resource allocation.
Activity
Start
Duration (if applicable)
Location
Who
Key Actions
Cost Category
Expense (inc GST)
Student Acknowledgment Media Release forms
As soon as possible (we did in Juky 2011)
At a meeting
Kathryn organised it with Pat Miller from LIVE
Sign Student Acknowledgement- Volunteering at the University of Melbourne and Media Release forms.
Materials
Supplied by LIVE Office (classification?)
Group Interests
05.04.2011
As long as needed (approximately 2 weeks)
Group meetings/wiki
Group
Collate group interests/skills.
Important to understand what group wants from project.
N/A
N/A
Research Project
16.04.2011
As long as needed (18.05.2011)
Discussion with external parties and group
Group
Does project match group interests?
Is there are need?
Is it feasible?
N/A
N/A
Submit Project Proposal
20.04.2011
Deadline: 02.06.2011
Group meetings/wiki/email
Group (each member takes a section)
Please see Appendix 1.
N/A
N/A
Contact Stakeholders
July 2011
August 2011 (as soon as project is decided upon- should be a continuous discussion)
Email/phone/meetings.
Kathryn and Naomi
Boort College Principals
Residential Colleges
Robyn (Council)- to sell project to and to get on board.
SALP manager (this should be ongoing communication).
Communication/Meeting expenses
LIVE Office (classification)?
Write Budget
July 2011
August 2011
Group meeting/email
Jack and Kathryn
Costs/quotes
Income
Does it need to be revised? Ie. is it too big?
N/A
N/A
Cash Flow
Ongoing
Jack
Keep receipts for reimbursement.
Keep track of cash in/cash out.
Materials
(receipt book)
LIVE Office (classification)?
Grant Application
July 2011
(ASAP – Dream Large close May)
Deadline (CCRAG): 15/08.2011
Email
Vio and Naomi
Use project proposal and edit so suitable for grant guidelines.
Funding (income)
+$4000.00
Itinerary
July 2011
As long as needed (Loddon exchange itinerary confirmed August 2011)
Group meetings/email/wiki
Group
Brainstorm activities as group.
Weigh up costs/benefits of activities.
Create schedule.
Contact university staff for Melbourne exchange.
What will you do for food and transport?
N/A
N/A
Bookings.
July 2011
For Loddon exchange August 2011.
Email/phone
Group1
Confirm and pay for bookings - Loddon Exchange.
Accommodation Transport Staff, tour guide Food Attractions
$ 824.00
$1,216.60
$ 399.00
$ 514.00
$ 254.10
Trial Melbourne Tours
July 2011
1 day (not including prior research)
Melbourne CBS
Jack and Kathryn
Trial self tours around Melbourne CBD-select tours for itinerary.
N/A
N/A
Loddon Shire Planning Trip
22.07.2011
3 days
Loddon Shire (Boort/Wedderburn)
Kathryn, Naomi, Vio, Jack.
Experiment with tours.
Meet council and tour stakeholders.
Learn about Loddon Shire
Meet with Boort College principal/s.
Confirm that Robyn will book tour as planned.
Research Trip
$1,028.00
(in kind)
Meeting with Malcolm Goldsworthy
22.07.2011 (during Loddon Planning Trip)
1.5 hours approximately
Loddon Shire Council Office
Kathryn,
Naomi, Vio, Robyn, Malcolm, Marilyn Lanyon (Simply Green tomatoes)
Selling of exchange to Malcolm.
Malcolm to choose dates for Melbourne exchange, select students, take care of forms, recruit teacher to accompany students.
Kathryn to send Malcolm student selection criteria.
Food
$ 30.00
(in kind)
Meeting with Robyn Vella
22.07.2011
1.5 hours approximately
Loddon Visitor Information Centre
Kathryn,
Naomi,
Vio, Robyn
Confirm dates of Loddon exchange.
Confirm itinerary, transportation and accommodation.
Robyn to book tour, etc. DID WE BOOK ANYTHING HERE?
We had to re-write budget.
N/A
N/A
Food
August 2011
Meetings/phone
Kathryn, Vio
Organise meal types, venues and costs.
Buy snack foods.
Create sandwich list for participants to choose lunches.
Food
Please see 'booking' sections for Melbourne and Loddon trips.
Student Portal Notice
July 2011
2 weeks
Student Portal/email
Vio, Kathryn, Naomi
Place advertisment on student portal for particpants for Loddon exchange
N/A
N/A
Promotional Materials
July 2011
As long as needed
Meetings/email
Kathryn and Jack
Collect promotional materials for Melbourne exchange.
Fed Square, Office of Admissions, UniMelb Marketing, bookshop, LIVE Unit.
Materials
Donated in kind.
Discussion Around Project
July 2011
August 2011
Meetings/email
Kathryn
To envisage project/gain guidance/support.
UniMelb Information Centre, Marketing & Comm., Careers and Employment, LIVE Unit (ongoing), Office of Admissions (ongoing)
N/A
N/A
Participant Interviews
18.08.2011 and 26.08.2011
½ hour group interviews
Baillieu Library Meeting Room
Naomi, Vio, Jack, Nick
Group interviews including specific candidate questions and group discussion.
Note participants should be 18+.
N/A
N/A
Participant Selection
28.08.2011
Email
Vio and Naomi
Interviewees emailed with notification of success/failure.
N/A
N/A
Secure Nominal Contributions
01.02.2011
02.02.2011
2 days
Meetings
Vio and Naomi
Nominal fee ($75) to ensure attendance of participants.
Funding
+$900.00
Equipment Lists and Evaluation forms.
August 2011
Email
Vio, Kathryn
Create equipment list for first exchange.
Send equipment list to participants.
Create and print evaluation forms for exchange.
Materials
Donated in kind
Working With Children Check
August 2011
It takes about 2 weeks to turn around, can operate on receipt from post office.
Form/return to post office
Group
Need to ensure everyone has a working with children check, availble from post office.
Volunteer WWCC free
Free
Itinerary
Ongoing
(Melbourne exchange confirmed November 2011)
Meetings/email/phone
Group
Discussion regarding Chemistry practical, university sports, office of admissions presentations and Amazing Race around Melbourne University for Melbourne Exchange.
N/A
N/A
SALP Symposium/Boort P-12 Presentation
19.09.2011/ 21.09.2011 respectively
15 minutes/ 45 minutes
Meetings/email/wiki
Group
Create presentation that can be given at SALP symposium regarding our project.
Piggyback off symposium to create presentation for Boort students to create interest in Melbourne leg of exchange.
Materials (poster)
Donation in kind?
Participant Briefing
16.09.2011
1 hour
Baillieu Library Meeting Room
Naomi, Vio
Meet and greet session, so that everyone feels comfortable.
Answer any questions.
Give brief of trip.
N/A
N/A
Loddon Exchange
21.09.2011
3 days
Loddon Shire
Group + Participants
Please see attached itinerary. Appendix 2.
Please see 'booking' above.
Participant Feedback
September 2011
After trip
Train ride home/email
Group + Participants
On train, get participants to fill out evaluation forms.
Get participants to email group a paragraph each about experience.
Materials
Donation in kind
Amazing Race
October 2011
Email/meetings
Naomi and Vio
Create Amazing race using template from Office of Admissions.
Trial run of Amazing Race.
Get supplies.
Ensure that there are enough helpers (SALPers and participants).
Materials
Donation in kind.
Bookings.
November 2011 – for Melbourne Exchange
Email/phone
Group
Ensure all activities on itinerary for Melbourne exchange are booked and are appropriate for under 18 year olds (no night-time bowling).
Transport
Accomodation
Food
Attractions
$ 300.60
$ 726.00
$ 190.00
$ 985.00
Communication with Malcolm
November 2011
Email/phone
Jack
Get names of participants- send to residential collge.
Send train tickets.
Inform him where the group will meet the students.
N/A
N/A
Interactive Student Forum
November 2011
Email/meeting with Office of Admissions
Vio, Naomi
Design forum where Loddon students can interact with Melb Uni student- with Gelati crawl.
Create guiding questions.
Follow on from Claire's university presentation.
N/A
N/A
Melbourne Exchange
05.12.2011
3 days
Melbourne University and CBD
Group + Participants + SALPers + Loddon Students + Boort Secondary Teacher
Please see attached itinerary. Appendix 3.
Please see 'booking' above.
Certificates of Appreciation
December 2011
Email/mail
Naomi,
Kathryn
Create certificates of appreciation for all involved.
Send thank you cards.
Materials
Donation in kind
Media.
December 2011 / January 2012
Kathryn
Create media release.
Generate attention surrounding exchange.
Liase with MelbUni Markerting and Communications.
N/A
N/A
Evaluation/Prospectus.
January/February 2012
Deadline: 20.02.2012
Email
Group
Send in CCRAG report.
Create prospectus evaluation of project to be used by future groups.
N/A
N/A
1If being remibursed by university, limit to one/two people for ease of EFT and paperwork.
MANAGEMENT AND PERSONNEL (Vio)
## 1. Project Initials Communication Mechanisms:
Email between all parties (among SALP Group 4 members, LIVE Unit and Loddon Shire contact person), weekly face-to-face meetings for SALP Group 4 members. In the early stages of the project, SALP Group 4 established the partnership with Robyn Vella from the Loddon Shire council with the help of Patrick Miller and Rita Manessis from the LIVE Unit. The role/s of the personnel involved are listed below:
Rita Manessis (SALP Manager, LIVE Unit)
Roles: Informing Loddon Council how SALP worked, ensured that the project followed SALP rules and guidelines, participated in initial discussions with Robyn Vella.
Patrick Miller (LIVE Unit)
Roles: Facilitated relationship between SALP group 4 and Loddon Shire Council, participated in initial discussions with Robyn Vella and provided phone facility to contact Robyn, administrative role (funds transfer, legal documentations, volunteer agreements)
Robyn Vella (Loddon Shire Council Ambassador)
Roles: Primary contact of the Loddon Shire Council, came to the university for project meeting, discussed council’s needs
SALP Group 4 (Jack Fang, Kathryn St. John, Naomi Burchett, Nicholas Yee, Violacea Wihardjo)
Roles: writing a proposal for exchange that included project’s goals, objectives, background, stakeholders, current approaches, points of differentiation, team’s strengths and weaknesses, funding sources and timeline, having meetings to discuss needs of project, visualising and conceptualising the exchange, and allocating tasks to team members based on individuals’ strengths.
2. Winter 2011 Holidays
Communication Mechanism: SALP project meetings between Jack and Kathryn, updates on wikispace for whole team, emails among all team members. Management: In the winter holidays, Kathryn and Jack actively kept the pace of the project going since Naomi, Nick and Violacea were away. The tasks that the members did are listed as follows:
Jack Fang: Planned Melbourne city tours for Melbourne Exchange, trialled tours, researched for available grants
Kathryn St. John: Established contacts with Office of Admissions (Lois Carlton and Claire Scott), established contacts with Marketings & Communication, Careers & Employment, wrote letters to college heads, planning university-base activities and Melbourne city tours for Melbourne Exchange, trialled tours, attended meeting with Pat Miller and Rita Manessis in SALP Office
Nicholas Yee: Printed, stamped and sent letters to college heads
Violacea Wihardjo: Researched for available grants
Kathryn and Jack regularly met and discussed the accommodation, food and itinerary for the Melbourne trip. Kathryn also had a meeting with Pat Miller and Rita Manessis from the LIVE Unit discussing the project’s progress and plans in the SALP Office.
3. First Loddon Trip
Communication Mechanisms: Meeting in the Loddon Shire Welcome Centre, meeting in the Loddon Shire Council Office, direct interactions with business owners Management: SALP Group 4 had their first trip to the Loddon Shire on 22nd to 24th of July 2011. The aim of this trip was to discuss the future Loddon Exchange itinerary with Robyn Vella and to sample the tours itself, and to meet Mr. Malcolm Goldsworthy to discuss a partnership for the future Melbourne Exchange.
The task management of the personnel on this trip are stated below:
Jack Fang: participated in the Loddon Shire tours
Kathryn St. John and Violacea Wihardjo: attended meetings and participated in the Loddon Shire tours
Naomi Burchett: drove SALP Group 4 to Loddon Shire and within the Shire, attended meetings and tours
Malcolm Goldsworthy: attended meeting to discuss the partnership between SALP Group 4 and Boort P-12 College, discussed the criteria of students going for Melbourne exchange, agreed to settle the paperwork and guardian for Melbourne exchange
Robyn Vella: attended meeting with Mr. Malcolm Goldsworthy to discuss the prospects of the exchange program, attended meeting with SALP team to discuss the September Loddon exchange itinerary, led tours to Simply Tomatoes, Aussie Wool Quilts, Salute Oliva, Akrasi Wines, Spanner Man Gallery, Eucalyptus Stew Pot, Melville Caves and the antiques shops in Inglewood, introduced the SALP team with business owners
Spending three days in the Shire provided Jack, Kathryn, Naomi and Violacea a good chance to bond as friends and as a team. 4.Grants Communication Mechanisms:
Weekly meetings between SALP Group 4, email between SALP Group 4 team members, updates on wikispace page Management: The task management of the SALP Group 4 personnel is described below:
Jack Fang and Kathryn St. John: Made the budget and costs for the whole project, researched for available grants
Naomi Burchett: Wrote the content for Cultural and Community Relations Grant (CCRAG) application, contact person for CCRAG
Violacea Wihardjo: Edited the content for CCRAG application, researched for available grants
5.Recruitment of Loddon Exchange Participants Communication Mechanisms: Email and text messages between Naomi, Violacea and the Loddon Exchange applicants, interview meetings with the applicants, updates on wikispace page Management: There were many steps involved in the process of recruiting the participants for the Loddon Exchange. Firstly, SALP Group 4 had to make an advertisement at the Student Portal Notice which included the project’s description, background, place, time, cost, criteria to be fulfilled (submission of curriculum vitae and answer to 3 application questions).
The tasks involved in this section are as follows:
Jack Fang and Nicholas Yee: Attended some interview meetings with applicants
Naomi Burchett and Violacea Wihardjo: Wrote student portal notice advertisement, discussed participants criteria, read resumes and cover letters, contacted potential participants for interviews, made interview questions, attended interview meetings with potential participants, notified applicants regarding their application outcomes, collected participants personal details and signatures
To make the tasks more manageable, Naomi handled all applications and enquiries from participants with initials A to N, while Violacea O-Z. The applicants were selected based on their answers to the application questions which gave the team a better feel of their personality, and also based on their curriculum vitae (CV) which spoke of their faculties, year levels and extracurricular activities. Since Robyn Vella would love professionals to work and live in the Loddon Shire, the team tried to recruit students who represented their faculties best. SALP Group 4 received 36 applications, called 14 potential applicants for group interviews, and selected 6 final applicants to participate in the Exchange.
The applicants later confirmed their participation in the Loddon Exchange by signing their registration forms, the university volunteering forms and paying the exchange fee ($75).
6. SALP Symposium
Communication Mechanisms: Emails between individuals, weekly meetings, additional meetings to prepare and finalise the symposium speech and power point slides, updates on wikispace page Management: The initial planning of the presentation format and posters were discussed during the weekly meetings. The task division of the personnel is described below:
ØSALP Group 4 Team
Jack Fang: Presentation speech and content, made power point slides, made presentation poster, printed the presentation poster
Kathryn St. John, Naomi Burchett, Nicholas Yee and Violacea Wihardjo: Presentation speech and preparation
ØSALP Group 4 Mentor (Laura Cheung)
Role: Gave advice and tips on symposium presentation, gave ideas on posters
The symposium presentation was divided into parts, i.e ‘Introduction’ (Kathryn), ‘Project Initials’(Jack), ‘Our Project So Far’ (Violacea), ‘Loddon Exchange’ (Naomi), ‘Melbourne Exchange’(Nicholas), and ‘Conclusion’(Kathryn). Each member wrote their own presentation speech and each part was then written in dot points for Jack to edit into the power point slides. The symposium poster briefly explained the project’s aims and backgrounds, and also described both the Loddon and the Melbourne Exchange. On the day of the presentation, the team arrived early to do a final rehearsal on the presentation.
7. The Loddon Exchange
Means of Communication: Between Naomi, Violacea and exchange participants: Email, text messages, phone calls
Among SALP team members: Email, text messages and wikispace
Between SALP team and Robyn: Email Management: The Loddon Exchange took place on 21st to 23rd of September 2011. The tasks involved in this exchanged were divided among the team as follows:
Jack Fang: Organised V-line tickets, participated in the exchange as project coordinators
Kathryn St. John: Organised afternoon tea, participated in the exchange as project coordinators
Naomi Burchett and Violacea Wihardjo: Recruited exchange participants (see ‘Recruitment of Loddon Exchange Participants’ section), participated in the exchange as project coordinators
Nicholas Yee: Participated in the exchange as project coordinators
The six Melbourne University participants selected to join the exchange were Cintia Chen, Guy Wallace, Hosni Zafrullah, Jingzhu Zhang, Silvia Wan, Wen-xin Lim. Before the exchange, all of the participants were informed about the ‘list of things to bring’, enquired about any dietary requirements and/or food allergies, and asked to arrange their own transport from their houses to Southern Cross Station and vice versa. The exchange participants were called for a briefing on 16th September 2011 to allow all the participants to meet the SALP team and to meet each other, and also to allow them the opportunity to ask questions regarding the exchange.
8. Boort P-12 College Forum
Communication Mechanisms: Meetings for SALP Group 4 team to discuss forum presentation, emails among SALP Group 4 members, emails to Loddon Exchange participants informing the casual chat, updates on wikispace page Management: The forum at Boort P-12 College was held on Day 2 of the Loddon Exchange divided into two sessions: the first session was a presentation by SALP Group 4 team and the second session was a casual chat among SALP Group 4 team, the Loddon Exchange participants and the Boort P-12 students.
The personnel involved are as follows:
ØSALP Group 4 Team
Jack Fang: Wrote speech content, made power point slides, brought SALP banners and posters, gave the presentation
Kathryn St. John and Naomi Burchett: Wrote speech content, gave the presentation, answered students’ enquiries
Nicholas Yee and Violacea Wihardjo: contributed to speech ideas, answered students’ enquiries
ØLoddon Exchange Participants
Cintia Chen, Guy Wallace, Hosni Zafrullah, Jingzhu Zhang, Silvia Wan, Wen-xin Lim: participated in the student chat (sharing personal experiences and answering enquiries)
ØBoort P-12 College Principal (Mr. Malcolm Goldsworthy)
Roles: Hosted SALP Group 4 and Loddon Exchange participants in Boort P-12 College, introduced Boort P-12 College students to SALP Group 4
The content of the presentation were prepared before the trip by all team members, while the power point slides were prepared by Jack. The presentation aimed to introduce the Melbourne Exchange to the year 10 and 11s of Boort P-12 College in the hope that the students would be interested to apply for the exchange. The presentation was presented by Jack, Kathryn and Naomi.
SALP Group 4 brought the SALP banners provided by the LIVE Unit, as well as the project poster which was also used in the symposium.
9. The Melbourne Exchange
Management: The Melbourne Exchange took place on 5th to 7th December 2011. The participants of the exchange were year 10 students from Boort P-12 College; Bailey Walsh-Coutts, Jane Gould, Jemma Bramley, Mitch Henderson, Ruby Vernon, and year 11 student, Brydie Lanyon. These students were selected by the school principal through an application process, in which the criteria of the students selected were discussed and agreed on the July Loddon Trip. Ms. Brooke Chamberlain was selected as the guardian for the students for the exchange.
This leg of the Exchange was almost entirely organised by the SALP team on their own.
They divided the tasks involved as follows:
Jack Fang: Experimented on tours, made itinerary, budgeting, bought V-line tickets, bought Eureka Skydeck tickets, confirmed booking for Newman College
Kathryn St. John: Experimented on tours and organised city tours, made itinerary, organised University presentation with Claire Scott, organised study skills session on university presentation
Naomi Burchett: Organised the Amazing Race, organised the Old Melbourne Gaol Tour
Nicholas Yee: Organised movie night at Hoyts, Melbourne Central
Violacea Wihardjo: Organised the Amazing Race, organised student chat session, the ‘Periodic Table’ chemistry practical, and Tai Box fitness class
The LIVE Unit contributed Melbourne University balloons, and SALP posters and T-shirts, for all participants and helpers to wear.
The Loddon Exchange participants were asked to participate in the activity to establish the ‘link’ between the two exchanges. Cintia Chen, Guy Wallace, Hosni Zafrullah, Jingzhu Zhang, Wen-Xin Lim participated in Amazing Race as stop guards and/or team leaders to guide the Melbourne Exchange participants.
In addition, the other SALP 2011 ambassadors (Deborah Dickinson, Laura Snyders, Poe Poe Aung, Trung Ngo, Zehui Zhao, Timmy Lo, Pei-ying Lee, Verity Wiseman) also helped to guard the pit stop stations and their contribution was recorded into their university volunteering hours. The amazing race activity was advertised to the SALP ambassadors through the SALP Bulletin posted by Hussein from the LIVE Unit.
Each participant paid $80 for the Exchange, and the remainder of the cost was covered by the LIVE Unit.
PROJECT RESULTS (Vio)
1. Project Results
1.1 Loddon Exchange 1.1.1 Service The Loddon Exchange was a three-day trip where participants explored various towns in the Loddon Shire such as Boort, Inglewood and Wedderburn. The exchange took place from 21st to 23rd of September 2011. The participants who joined the exchange were the SALP Group 4 team and six University of Melbourne students from diverse faculties, year levels and nationalities. During the Loddon Exchange, the participants visited local agricultural and ecological businesses such as Simply Tomatoes, Aussie Wool Quilts, Salute Oliva and Akrasi Wines. They learnt how these businesses were run through interactions with the business owners. The participants also experienced the arts, cultural and natural aspects of the Loddon Shire through the visits to the Spanner Man art gallery, Eucalyptus Stew Pot, the gold mines, the antique shops in Inglewood and the Melville Caves. 1.1.2 Goals and Objectives Met The Loddon Exchange covered a range of the project goals and objectives. Firstly, the Loddon Exchange brought a younger demographic into the rural community and has a potential to increase the local tourism traffic. This meets the counsel designated need for an increased flow of younger tourists into the Loddon Shire. The participants quoted “I wanna go again!!”, “I’d recommend Loddon Shire to locals and internationals”, and “Loddon Shire is definitely a beautiful place to work, live and play. It’s so sad that not many people know much about the place.” Secondly, the Loddon Exchange brought revenue to local businesses, which was in line with the project’s objective to support the local businesses impacted by the 2011 floods. The accommodation, tours and food for this exchange costed approximately $2,600 (excluding tax). During the participants’ visits to the local attractions and businesses, they purchased local produce as souvenirs for themselves and even for friends and families in their home countries. The average spend on the souvenirs alone was $ 79.50. The Loddon Exchange broadened the horizons of city students by providing the participants with a three-day agricultural and ecological tour around the Loddon Shire. Not many of the international participants have had the chance to experience the real country Victoria and one of the University of Melbourne's goals is to produce students who are rounded citizens that understand about the many different communities that make up Australia. It was a novel experience for many of the participants, particularly the international students. The participants realised Loddon Shire to be an enjoyabletourist destination as their overall satisfaction on Loddon’s local attractions was rated 8.5 out of 10 on average. They also gave quotes which shows that the project has the potential to increase the local tourism traffic in the long run as the participants are likely to share this experience with their friends and family, who will hopefully be interested in visiting the Shire as a vacation destination. Some of the quotes are: “My experience was extremely pleasant. I think it was very well-organised and the attractions were incredibly interesting. I’d recommend Loddon Shire to locals and internationals.” “I wanna go again!!” “Everyone was so friendly and amazing…… Loddon Shire is definitely a beautiful place to work, live and play. It’s so sad that not many people know much about the place.” In addition, the Loddon Exchange participants promoted the University of Melbourne and increased the awareness of tertiary education opportunities through their visit to Boort P-12 College. In this visit, SALP Group 4 team gave a presentation to Year 10 and 11 students about their Melbourne University experience as well as an overview of the upcoming Melbourne Exchange in December. There was also an opportunity for the Boort students to ask any university and Melbourne related questions during the interactive forum at the end of the presentation. This visit successfully sparked the interest of the Boort students to apply for the Melbourne exchange, whose goals and objectives are discussed in the ‘Melbourne Exchange’ section.
1.2 Melbourne Exchange 1.2.1. Service The Melbourne Exchange took place on 5th to 7th December 2011. The participants joining the exchange were the SALP Group 4 team, and six students and a teacher from Boort P-12 College. The participants enjoyed a three-day tour around Melbourne University and Melbourne CBD as they were introduced to the academic, sporting and social aspects of the university life. The Melbourne Exchange was aimed to introduce students to the University of Melbourne, thus promoting both tertiary education at the university and a city environment and lifestyle. This aimed to provide the prospective students from Loddon Shire with a world-class tertiary education, with the hope to (nurture) them into active global citizens. This addressed the Loddon Shire Council’s need to have young professionals working in various sectors within the Shire. 1.2.2 Goals and Objectives Met The Melbourne Exchange enabled the Boort students to have a general overview on the academic, cultural and sporting aspects of the university. They enjoyed and benefited the experience as the Melbourne Exchange gave them more insights and understanding in the university lifestyle. The objectives that we fulfilled in the Melbourne Exchange were firstly to make the students familiar with the university courses, pathways and the Melbourne model. This was done through a presentation given by staff from the University's admissions office. After this one student said: “I learnt something in every activity that we did. Claire was very informative and gave a lot of information that is relevant to my age.” – Bailey Walsh-Coutts, year 10 student. Secondly, an objective was to orientate students within the University's large Parkville campus and teach them how to use the maps given for this campus, using an Amazing Race created by SALP Group 4. The fact that the students confidently finished the race ahead of time and gave testimonials such as: “I learnt how to get around Melbourne Uni using a map”, demonstrate that this objective has been met. The last objective was to give students a thorough understanding of life in the city and as a University student. The students also stayed at a residential college, for which many students is an integral part of university, yet for some can be daunting. The students were also exposed to the many different facets of academic life at University, such as chemistry practicals that they wouldn't usually be exposed to at school and presentation skills sessions, which were run in university classrooms. An emphasis was placed on having a balanced lifestyle and thus the students were introduced to Melbourne University sports. Also emphasizing health and sustainable practices, the students used public transport and walked around the city. Melbourne CBD can also be seen as intimidating and so the students walked around the city, experiencing the botanical gardens, laneways for shopping and even being introduced to late night supermarkets and the eateries on Lygon Street. As one student said of his experience “I learnt much about uni life and lifestyle and what living at colleges is like. I know have a much greater grasp of uni and how it works.” – Mitch Henderson, year 10 student. Students said that they felt less intimidated about coming to Melbourne and more keen about joining the university. This fulfilled the project objective which is to promote Melbourne University and to break down the stereotype of Melbourne City as a big, intimidating place. As the students were asked about how the exchange has changed their view about university, they quoted: “It (The Melbourne Exchange) has opened up my eyes….. It made me want to go to Uni” – Jane Gould, year 10 student “I now want to pursue further education at Melbourne Uni” – Jemma Bramley, year 10 student “It hasn’t really changed my view of uni, just made me more excited and hopeful for my future pursuits hopefully at Melbourne Uni. It has opened my eyes to uni life more than anything, and what’s its like to live and learn there.” – Brydie Lanyon, year 11 student. 1.3 Media The main objectives of the project in raising awareness of the tourist attractions as well as prospective employment opportunities within the Shire were addressed through the three day exchange. Being a pilot program however, meant only a relatively small group of students were able to directly experience these benefits of the program. SALP Group 4 consequently produced a press release which was distributed to several papers by Marketing & Communications. The articles that were published (including “Flood aid role”, The Loddon Times, published on 11/01/2012) created broader awareness of the Loddon Shire as an agricultural and ecological tourist destination. They also shared participants’ highly favourable experiences of the program with the wider community, and without exception, portrayed the University of Melbourne in a positive light.
Problem Statement:
The Loddon Shire Council identified a need to increase awareness of and tourism in the Shire in the 18 – 25 year-old demographic to increase cash flow in the region, which was suffering from years of drought and decreasing population. The floods of January 2011 increased the need for this tourist flow, yet hindered the achievement of this, as the council had to focus on repairing the flood damaged town.
Organisers of the Project:
Student Ambassador Leadership Program (SALP) Group 4 which consisted of: Kathryn St John, Jack Fang, Naomi Burchett, Nick Yee and Violacea Wihardjo. The SALP program is an extracurricular activity run through the LIVE Unit of Melbourne University, in which students undertake a community based project with a partner organisation, along-side partaking in leadership and team-work workshops.
This Project:
A pilot exchange program between the University of Melbourne and Boort Secondary College. A diverse group of students from the University (accompanied by the organisers) travelled to the Loddon Shire in September for three days to experience what the Shire has to offer, from sheep shearing to agri-tourism. In return a group of six year 10 and 11 students from Boort P-12 College (with a teacher from the college) travelled to Melbourne to experience life at Melbourne University and living in the city of Melbourne.
Project Objectives:
Objectives for the Melbourne to Loddon leg of the exchange were:
- To promote the Loddon Shire as an interesting and enjoyable place to holiday
- To promote the Loddon Shire and a valuable and rewarding place to live and work
- Through the above two points, create a people and cash flow of 18 – 25 year-olds that will provide support to a flood affected community.
Objectives for the Loddon to Melbourne leg of the exchange were:Key Results:
CONTEXT
Context.
The Loddon Shire1 is situated in Central Victoria and consists of rural country towns such as Bridgewater, Boort, Inglewood, Pyramid Hill, Wedderburn, covering an area of 6, 700 square kilometers and has a population of 8, 000. In January 2011 this region was geatly affected by flooding, some areas being left requiring large amounts of repair work. In April 2011 staff from the University of Melbourne travelled to Wedderburn and met with various Loddon Shire Council departments, to discuss how they could best assist with the flood recovery. Resulting from these meetings, the University created a suite of projects that enaged University support and intellect to assist the recovery of this region. One area addressed by the projects was that of the Loddon Tourism Strategy 2011 – 2016. The Tourism Strategy highlighted the need to increase the flow of tourism through the area, especially in the 18 – 25 year-old demographic and the suggestion was to do this by creating an easily accessible and appealing individual tourism website. This project was handled by the LIVE department and passed on to the Student Ambassaor Leadership Program (SALP) in which students work with a partner organisation to create a project benefiting the community. SALP Group 4 was chosen to take up the project. Group 4 consisted of 5 students from diverse backgrounds with different skills and strengths:
- Jack Fang (Bachelor of Commerce, Actuarial Studies2)
- Kathryn St John (Bachelor of Commerce, Microfinance and Economics??)
- Naomi Burchett (Bachelor of Arts, Psychology/Linguistics)
- Nicholas Yee (Bachelor of Biomedicine, ??)
- Violacea Wihardjo (Bachelor of Science, Food Sciences???)
The key aims of the team, within the parameters of building a website, were to promote the Loddon Shire, make it more accessible to a younger demographic and thus help to support local businesses. However, there was miscommunication, and the result was that the Loddon Shire required that the website be built from scratch. Since Group 4 had no experience building websites, instead possessing strong financial, literacy and organisational abilities. Their desire to help people in need and create a project that involved event planning evolved into the Loddon – Melbourne City – Country Exchange, a program with positive long-running effects.1Unsure whether to introduce Loddon Shir here? Ie- what it actually is?
2I don't know anyone's majors.....if you want to keep this section, then add your major in! I think we should keep this section, cause we need to have a little something about us somewhere.
PROJECT JUSTIFICATION
Problem statement
The problem that the City – Country Exchange addressed was an area that was identified within the greater difficulties of the Loddon Shire. Primarily, the Shire has a decreasing, slowly aging population. As a farming community, this, paired with the drought, meant that many farms closed down and town numbers dwindled further. Many towns in the Shire, such as Pyramid Hill, only have approximately 500 residents and would be unable to withstand any more losses, making the Loddon Shire no long be viable. The area needed to diversify its income (it had relied more or less completely on farming thus far), and tourism was identified as a major area of interest as it would not only garner people's interest in the shire, but would bring in a cash flow which would help diversify business opportunities within the Shire. These hardships were compounded by the floods of 2011 which placed tourism plans onto the back burner and caused severe damage to many already struggling businesses. The City – Country exchange addresses the problem of tourism, specifically increasing tourism in and awareness of the Loddon Shire in the 18 – 25 year old demographic, as council identified this age bracket as one that is able to bring in revenue and has the possibility of returning often to the Shire for holidays or even a lifestyle change.
Priority needs
As of April 2011 these needs are ranked in order of high to low priority.
The proposed approach (type of intervention)
The City – Country Exchange was the chosen strategy for the improvement of dot points 3, 4 and 5 above. The exchange began as a pilot program in 2011 and if successful, after evaluation, it would grow in size and scope, continuing annually. The exchange would consist of 6 Melbourne University students (from all faculties, local and international) spending 3 days in Boort during the holidays in September and in return, 6 year 10 and 11 students (and one teacher from Boort P – 12 College) spending 3 days at Melbourne University in December. Both times the students were accompanied by SALP Group 4 members. An initial 'fact-finding' trip was also undertaken by the group to plan the Boort exchange.
The exchange of students to Boort improvements such as:
The implementing organisation
Primarily SALP Group 4 implemented this project. As noted above, the group came from a diverse set of backgrounds and courses, resulting in a diverse skill set that covered from the financial to the social aspects of the project.
Individually, and as a group, the following capabilities gave us the capacity to run this project:
The group was supported by the LIVE Unit at Melbourne University and by Robyn Vella of the Loddon Shire Council. This support was pivotal in the success of the program. The LIVE Unit provided support and advice for the group. This was useful if they were unsure of any aspect of the project or if they had a division of opinions that required the insight of a third party. The LIVE Unit also supplied a bank account for SALP Group 4 and helped the financial side of the project. Robyn Vella was a gateway into the Loddon Shire, introducing and teaching the group about the Shire, and providing opportunities for them to meet other contributors to the project, such as the principal of Boort P-12 College, Malcolm Goldsworthy.
Future groups that would be appropriate to run this program would ideally be SALP groups with a similar skill set and a firm commitment to the project. They would be ideal as they would have continued support from the LIVE Unit and the Loddon Shire Council as well as the parameters of the SALP program to provide support for development of the exchange.
If a SALP Group is unable to run this project, other contributors to the project, such as other programs within the the Loddon council, other programs within the LIVE department or a residential college may look at continuing the project, combining it with the former's interest for promoting tourism in the Loddon Shire and the latter two's interest in promoting the University of Melbourne.
Project Aims
Goal.
The goal of this project to establish an annual exchange program between students from the University of Melbourne and secondary schools in the Loddon Shire that will benefit the latter party by increasing awareness of the region as a place for tourism and through this channel, revenue for local businesses.
It is envisaged that this exchange will break down negative cultural stereotpyes between metropolitan and regional students, increase awareness of higher education opportunities for the secondary students, raise the prospect of young professionals working in rural areas and establish cross-culture networks of students, academics and business owners within the Loddon Shire.
Objectives.
Establishment of an annual exchange.
Objective One: Generate interest in exchange and recruit participants from both areas who will contribute to and benefit from the success of the exchange.
Objective Two: Create an itinerary for both legs of the exchange that showcases the best of both regions; ensure that this is diverse, informative and enjoyable.
Objective Three: Receive feedback from the participants and evaluate the project that it can be improved and continued in the future.
Break down of stereotypes and networking.
Objective One: Provide continuous opportunities for participants to meet on both exchanges to become familiar with one another and to create friendships.
Objective Two: Create opportunities for participants to meet business owners in the Loddon Shire and for secondary students to meet academic staff at the university to build stronger cross-culture networks.
Increasing professional development in rural areas and increasing tertiary prospects.
Objective One: Through discussion on exchange, alert university students to the need for young professionals in rural areas.
Obejctive Two: Introduce participants to the local communities of the Loddon Shire and promote the tight-knit and approachable nature of these communities.
Objective Three: Experience university classes and sports together and share stories between participants to familiarise students with the university as an institution and to create a feeling of familiarity within it.
Target Group
Target Group #1
Exchange students from the University of Melbourne.
Principally 6 students from any faculy and of any origin (international or local). Students should have an interest in rural Victoria and feel comfortable and are capable of being upstanding representatives of the University of Melbourne. Preferably they should come from a diverse range of courses and year levels to be able to widely promot the Loddon Shire among the student body upon their return.It is foreseeable that there will be a particular interest in future exchanges to recruit students with medical degrees and interests, as this is one of the priority areas in which the Loddon Shire would like to engage young professionals.
They key aim to benefit the exchange students is to ensure that they have the opportunity to broaden their horizons and move a step towards becoming the global citizens that Melbourne University aims for it's gradutes to be. This is done through 2 key ares:
Target Group #2
Business owners in the Loddon Shire.
Businesses, from agri-tourism providers to cafes and publicans, who are interested in having the Melbourne Exchange students visit them as arranged by Robyn Vella. A list of the businesses visited in the 2011 exchange are listed below:
These businesses benefitted firstly from the revenue left behind by the participants when they brought souveniers. This benefit was deepened by the fact that some businesses were still trying to recover from the January 2011 floods. A further benefit for these businesses, and the Loddon Shire in general, was the positive feedback that the participants gave, which expressed their wish not only to return to the Loddon Shire (which would bring in further toursim revenue), but they wanted to inform their friends of the enjoyable time that they had had and encourage their friends to visit as well.
Target group #3
Exchange students from Boort P-12 College.
This target group, after feedback from the initial group, are students in year 10, who need the most information regarding tertiary study in terms of pre-requisite subjects and pathways. Also after feedback, it is preferable that this group does not exceed 6 students in size, as this number is one that allows the students to really get to know each-other and to be able to have a meaningful experience. The University requires that these students not be Kwong Lee Dow scholars and it is advisable that the students are at least considering the option of tertiary study. The demographics of the actual group other than the above are fairly relaxed, as the principal of Boort P-12 undertakes the application and selection process of these students.
The benefit for these students revolves around their introduction to the city of Melbourne and, in particular, the University of Melbourne. The city can appear overwhelming when rural students consider moving there as an option for tertiary study. By bringing the students to Melbourne and taking them on tours which include ativities that they already possitvely associate with the city (ie. shopping), it creates a sense of familiarity with the city. Further, introducing the participants to the Univeristy and sharing real student expereiences demonstrates how attending university can be a realistic goal and one that is accessible to them. It is also a way to promote the University and all that it has in terms of academic, social and sporting opportunities to these students.
Activity Plan + Resource allocation.
(inc GST)
(receipt book)
(ASAP – Dream Large close May)
Transport
Staff, tour guide
Food
Attractions
$1,216.60
$ 399.00
$ 514.00
$ 254.10
(in kind)
Naomi, Vio, Robyn, Malcolm, Marilyn Lanyon (Simply Green tomatoes)
(in kind)
Naomi,
Vio, Robyn
02.02.2011
Accomodation
Food
Attractions
$ 726.00
$ 190.00
$ 985.00
Kathryn
MANAGEMENT AND PERSONNEL (Vio)
Communication Mechanisms:
Email between all parties (among SALP Group 4 members, LIVE Unit and Loddon Shire contact person), weekly face-to-face meetings for SALP Group 4 members.
In the early stages of the project, SALP Group 4 established the partnership with Robyn Vella from the Loddon Shire council with the help of Patrick Miller and Rita Manessis from the LIVE Unit. The role/s of the personnel involved are listed below:
- Rita Manessis (SALP Manager, LIVE Unit)
Roles: Informing Loddon Council how SALP worked, ensured that the project followed SALP rules and guidelines, participated in initial discussions with Robyn Vella.- Patrick Miller (LIVE Unit)
Roles: Facilitated relationship between SALP group 4 and Loddon Shire Council, participated in initial discussions with Robyn Vella and provided phone facility to contact Robyn, administrative role (funds transfer, legal documentations, volunteer agreements)- Robyn Vella (Loddon Shire Council Ambassador)
Roles: Primary contact of the Loddon Shire Council, came to the university for project meeting, discussed council’s needs- SALP Group 4 (Jack Fang, Kathryn St. John, Naomi Burchett, Nicholas Yee, Violacea Wihardjo)
Roles: writing a proposal for exchange that included project’s goals, objectives, background, stakeholders, current approaches, points of differentiation, team’s strengths and weaknesses, funding sources and timeline, having meetings to discuss needs of project, visualising and conceptualising the exchange, and allocating tasks to team members based on individuals’ strengths.- 2. Winter 2011 Holidays
Communication Mechanism:SALP project meetings between Jack and Kathryn, updates on wikispace for whole team, emails among all team members.
Management:
In the winter holidays, Kathryn and Jack actively kept the pace of the project going since Naomi, Nick and Violacea were away. The tasks that the members did are listed as follows:
- Jack Fang: Planned Melbourne city tours for Melbourne Exchange, trialled tours, researched for available grants
- Kathryn St. John: Established contacts with Office of Admissions (Lois Carlton and Claire Scott), established contacts with Marketings & Communication, Careers & Employment, wrote letters to college heads, planning university-base activities and Melbourne city tours for Melbourne Exchange, trialled tours, attended meeting with Pat Miller and Rita Manessis in SALP Office
- Nicholas Yee: Printed, stamped and sent letters to college heads
- Violacea Wihardjo: Researched for available grants
Kathryn and Jack regularly met and discussed the accommodation, food and itinerary for the Melbourne trip. Kathryn also had a meeting with Pat Miller and Rita Manessis from the LIVE Unit discussing the project’s progress and plans in the SALP Office.- 3. First Loddon Trip
Communication Mechanisms:Meeting in the Loddon Shire Welcome Centre, meeting in the Loddon Shire Council Office, direct interactions with business owners
Management:
SALP Group 4 had their first trip to the Loddon Shire on 22nd to 24th of July 2011. The aim of this trip was to discuss the future Loddon Exchange itinerary with Robyn Vella and to sample the tours itself, and to meet Mr. Malcolm Goldsworthy to discuss a partnership for the future Melbourne Exchange.
The task management of the personnel on this trip are stated below:
- Jack Fang: participated in the Loddon Shire tours
- Kathryn St. John and Violacea Wihardjo: attended meetings and participated in the Loddon Shire tours
- Naomi Burchett: drove SALP Group 4 to Loddon Shire and within the Shire, attended meetings and tours
- Malcolm Goldsworthy: attended meeting to discuss the partnership between SALP Group 4 and Boort P-12 College, discussed the criteria of students going for Melbourne exchange, agreed to settle the paperwork and guardian for Melbourne exchange
- Robyn Vella: attended meeting with Mr. Malcolm Goldsworthy to discuss the prospects of the exchange program, attended meeting with SALP team to discuss the September Loddon exchange itinerary, led tours to Simply Tomatoes, Aussie Wool Quilts, Salute Oliva, Akrasi Wines, Spanner Man Gallery, Eucalyptus Stew Pot, Melville Caves and the antiques shops in Inglewood, introduced the SALP team with business owners
Spending three days in the Shire provided Jack, Kathryn, Naomi and Violacea a good chance to bond as friends and as a team.4.Grants
Communication Mechanisms:
Weekly meetings between SALP Group 4, email between SALP Group 4 team members, updates on wikispace page
Management:
The task management of the SALP Group 4 personnel is described below:
- Jack Fang and Kathryn St. John: Made the budget and costs for the whole project, researched for available grants
- Naomi Burchett: Wrote the content for Cultural and Community Relations Grant (CCRAG) application, contact person for CCRAG
- Violacea Wihardjo: Edited the content for CCRAG application, researched for available grants
5.Recruitment of Loddon Exchange ParticipantsCommunication Mechanisms:
Email and text messages between Naomi, Violacea and the Loddon Exchange applicants, interview meetings with the applicants, updates on wikispace page
Management:
There were many steps involved in the process of recruiting the participants for the Loddon Exchange. Firstly, SALP Group 4 had to make an advertisement at the Student Portal Notice which included the project’s description, background, place, time, cost, criteria to be fulfilled (submission of curriculum vitae and answer to 3 application questions).
The tasks involved in this section are as follows:
- Jack Fang and Nicholas Yee: Attended some interview meetings with applicants
- Naomi Burchett and Violacea Wihardjo: Wrote student portal notice advertisement, discussed participants criteria, read resumes and cover letters, contacted potential participants for interviews, made interview questions, attended interview meetings with potential participants, notified applicants regarding their application outcomes, collected participants personal details and signatures
To make the tasks more manageable, Naomi handled all applications and enquiries from participants with initials A to N, while Violacea O-Z. The applicants were selected based on their answers to the application questions which gave the team a better feel of their personality, and also based on their curriculum vitae (CV) which spoke of their faculties, year levels and extracurricular activities. Since Robyn Vella would love professionals to work and live in the Loddon Shire, the team tried to recruit students who represented their faculties best. SALP Group 4 received 36 applications, called 14 potential applicants for group interviews, and selected 6 final applicants to participate in the Exchange.The applicants later confirmed their participation in the Loddon Exchange by signing their registration forms, the university volunteering forms and paying the exchange fee ($75).
Communication Mechanisms:
Emails between individuals, weekly meetings, additional meetings to prepare and finalise the symposium speech and power point slides, updates on wikispace page
Management:
The initial planning of the presentation format and posters were discussed during the weekly meetings. The task division of the personnel is described below:
- Ø SALP Group 4 Team
- Jack Fang: Presentation speech and content, made power point slides, made presentation poster, printed the presentation poster
- Kathryn St. John, Naomi Burchett, Nicholas Yee and Violacea Wihardjo: Presentation speech and preparation
- Ø SALP Group 4 Mentor (Laura Cheung)
Role: Gave advice and tips on symposium presentation, gave ideas on postersThe symposium presentation was divided into parts, i.e ‘Introduction’ (Kathryn), ‘Project Initials’(Jack), ‘Our Project So Far’ (Violacea), ‘Loddon Exchange’ (Naomi), ‘Melbourne Exchange’(Nicholas), and ‘Conclusion’(Kathryn). Each member wrote their own presentation speech and each part was then written in dot points for Jack to edit into the power point slides. The symposium poster briefly explained the project’s aims and backgrounds, and also described both the Loddon and the Melbourne Exchange. On the day of the presentation, the team arrived early to do a final rehearsal on the presentation.
- 7. The Loddon Exchange
Means of Communication:Between Naomi, Violacea and exchange participants: Email, text messages, phone calls
Among SALP team members: Email, text messages and wikispace
Between SALP team and Robyn: Email
Management:
The Loddon Exchange took place on 21st to 23rd of September 2011. The tasks involved in this exchanged were divided among the team as follows:
- Jack Fang: Organised V-line tickets, participated in the exchange as project coordinators
- Kathryn St. John: Organised afternoon tea, participated in the exchange as project coordinators
- Naomi Burchett and Violacea Wihardjo: Recruited exchange participants (see ‘Recruitment of Loddon Exchange Participants’ section), participated in the exchange as project coordinators
- Nicholas Yee: Participated in the exchange as project coordinators
The six Melbourne University participants selected to join the exchange were Cintia Chen, Guy Wallace, Hosni Zafrullah, Jingzhu Zhang, Silvia Wan, Wen-xin Lim. Before the exchange, all of the participants were informed about the ‘list of things to bring’, enquired about any dietary requirements and/or food allergies, and asked to arrange their own transport from their houses to Southern Cross Station and vice versa.The exchange participants were called for a briefing on 16th September 2011 to allow all the participants to meet the SALP team and to meet each other, and also to allow them the opportunity to ask questions regarding the exchange.
- 8. Boort P-12 College Forum
Communication Mechanisms: Meetings for SALP Group 4 team to discuss forum presentation, emails among SALP Group 4 members, emails to Loddon Exchange participants informing the casual chat, updates on wikispace pageManagement:
The forum at Boort P-12 College was held on Day 2 of the Loddon Exchange divided into two sessions: the first session was a presentation by SALP Group 4 team and the second session was a casual chat among SALP Group 4 team, the Loddon Exchange participants and the Boort P-12 students.
The personnel involved are as follows:
- Ø SALP Group 4 Team
- Jack Fang: Wrote speech content, made power point slides, brought SALP banners and posters, gave the presentation
- Kathryn St. John and Naomi Burchett: Wrote speech content, gave the presentation, answered students’ enquiries
- Nicholas Yee and Violacea Wihardjo: contributed to speech ideas, answered students’ enquiries
- Ø Loddon Exchange Participants
- Cintia Chen, Guy Wallace, Hosni Zafrullah, Jingzhu Zhang, Silvia Wan, Wen-xin Lim: participated in the student chat (sharing personal experiences and answering enquiries)
- Ø Boort P-12 College Principal (Mr. Malcolm Goldsworthy)
Roles: Hosted SALP Group 4 and Loddon Exchange participants in Boort P-12 College, introduced Boort P-12 College students to SALP Group 4The content of the presentation were prepared before the trip by all team members, while the power point slides were prepared by Jack. The presentation aimed to introduce the Melbourne Exchange to the year 10 and 11s of Boort P-12 College in the hope that the students would be interested to apply for the exchange. The presentation was presented by Jack, Kathryn and Naomi.
SALP Group 4 brought the SALP banners provided by the LIVE Unit, as well as the project poster which was also used in the symposium.
- 9. The Melbourne Exchange
Management:The Melbourne Exchange took place on 5th to 7th December 2011. The participants of the exchange were year 10 students from Boort P-12 College; Bailey Walsh-Coutts, Jane Gould, Jemma Bramley, Mitch Henderson, Ruby Vernon, and year 11 student, Brydie Lanyon. These students were selected by the school principal through an application process, in which the criteria of the students selected were discussed and agreed on the July Loddon Trip. Ms. Brooke Chamberlain was selected as the guardian for the students for the exchange.
This leg of the Exchange was almost entirely organised by the SALP team on their own.
They divided the tasks involved as follows:
- Jack Fang: Experimented on tours, made itinerary, budgeting, bought V-line tickets, bought Eureka Skydeck tickets, confirmed booking for Newman College
- Kathryn St. John: Experimented on tours and organised city tours, made itinerary, organised University presentation with Claire Scott, organised study skills session on university presentation
- Naomi Burchett: Organised the Amazing Race, organised the Old Melbourne Gaol Tour
- Nicholas Yee: Organised movie night at Hoyts, Melbourne Central
- Violacea Wihardjo: Organised the Amazing Race, organised student chat session, the ‘Periodic Table’ chemistry practical, and Tai Box fitness class
The LIVE Unit contributed Melbourne University balloons, and SALP posters and T-shirts, for all participants and helpers to wear.The Loddon Exchange participants were asked to participate in the activity to establish the ‘link’ between the two exchanges. Cintia Chen, Guy Wallace, Hosni Zafrullah, Jingzhu Zhang, Wen-Xin Lim participated in Amazing Race as stop guards and/or team leaders to guide the Melbourne Exchange participants.
In addition, the other SALP 2011 ambassadors (Deborah Dickinson, Laura Snyders, Poe Poe Aung, Trung Ngo, Zehui Zhao, Timmy Lo, Pei-ying Lee, Verity Wiseman) also helped to guard the pit stop stations and their contribution was recorded into their university volunteering hours. The amazing race activity was advertised to the SALP ambassadors through the SALP Bulletin posted by Hussein from the LIVE Unit.
Each participant paid $80 for the Exchange, and the remainder of the cost was covered by the LIVE Unit.
PROJECT RESULTS (Vio)
- 1. Project Results
1.1 Loddon Exchange1.1.1 Service
The Loddon Exchange was a three-day trip where participants explored various towns in the Loddon Shire such as Boort, Inglewood and Wedderburn. The exchange took place from 21st to 23rd of September 2011. The participants who joined the exchange were the SALP Group 4 team and six University of Melbourne students from diverse faculties, year levels and nationalities.
During the Loddon Exchange, the participants visited local agricultural and ecological businesses such as Simply Tomatoes, Aussie Wool Quilts, Salute Oliva and Akrasi Wines. They learnt how these businesses were run through interactions with the business owners. The participants also experienced the arts, cultural and natural aspects of the Loddon Shire through the visits to the Spanner Man art gallery, Eucalyptus Stew Pot, the gold mines, the antique shops in Inglewood and the Melville Caves.
1.1.2 Goals and Objectives Met
The Loddon Exchange covered a range of the project goals and objectives. Firstly, the Loddon Exchange brought a younger demographic into the rural community and has a potential to increase the local tourism traffic. This meets the counsel designated need for an increased flow of younger tourists into the Loddon Shire. The participants quoted “I wanna go again!!”, “I’d recommend Loddon Shire to locals and internationals”, and “Loddon Shire is definitely a beautiful place to work, live and play. It’s so sad that not many people know much about the place.”
Secondly, the Loddon Exchange brought revenue to local businesses, which was in line with the project’s objective to support the local businesses impacted by the 2011 floods. The accommodation, tours and food for this exchange costed approximately $2,600 (excluding tax). During the participants’ visits to the local attractions and businesses, they purchased local produce as souvenirs for themselves and even for friends and families in their home countries. The average spend on the souvenirs alone was $ 79.50.
The Loddon Exchange broadened the horizons of city students by providing the participants with a three-day agricultural and ecological tour around the Loddon Shire. Not many of the international participants have had the chance to experience the real country Victoria and one of the University of Melbourne's goals is to produce students who are rounded citizens that understand about the many different communities that make up Australia. It was a novel experience for many of the participants, particularly the international students. The participants realised Loddon Shire to be an enjoyabletourist destination as their overall satisfaction on Loddon’s local attractions was rated 8.5 out of 10 on average. They also gave quotes which shows that the project has the potential to increase the local tourism traffic in the long run as the participants are likely to share this experience with their friends and family, who will hopefully be interested in visiting the Shire as a vacation destination. Some of the quotes are:
“My experience was extremely pleasant. I think it was very well-organised and the attractions were incredibly interesting. I’d recommend Loddon Shire to locals and internationals.”
“I wanna go again!!”
“Everyone was so friendly and amazing…… Loddon Shire is definitely a beautiful place to work, live and play. It’s so sad that not many people know much about the place.”
In addition, the Loddon Exchange participants promoted the University of Melbourne and increased the awareness of tertiary education opportunities through their visit to Boort P-12 College. In this visit, SALP Group 4 team gave a presentation to Year 10 and 11 students about their Melbourne University experience as well as an overview of the upcoming Melbourne Exchange in December. There was also an opportunity for the Boort students to ask any university and Melbourne related questions during the interactive forum at the end of the presentation. This visit successfully sparked the interest of the Boort students to apply for the Melbourne exchange, whose goals and objectives are discussed in the ‘Melbourne Exchange’ section.
1.2 Melbourne Exchange
1.2.1. Service
The Melbourne Exchange took place on 5th to 7th December 2011. The participants joining the exchange were the SALP Group 4 team, and six students and a teacher from Boort P-12 College. The participants enjoyed a three-day tour around Melbourne University and Melbourne CBD as they were introduced to the academic, sporting and social aspects of the university life.
The Melbourne Exchange was aimed to introduce students to the University of Melbourne, thus promoting both tertiary education at the university and a city environment and lifestyle. This aimed to provide the prospective students from Loddon Shire with a world-class tertiary education, with the hope to (nurture) them into active global citizens. This addressed the Loddon Shire Council’s need to have young professionals working in various sectors within the Shire.
1.2.2 Goals and Objectives Met
The Melbourne Exchange enabled the Boort students to have a general overview on the academic, cultural and sporting aspects of the university. They enjoyed and benefited the experience as the Melbourne Exchange gave them more insights and understanding in the university lifestyle.
The objectives that we fulfilled in the Melbourne Exchange were firstly to make the students familiar with the university courses, pathways and the Melbourne model. This was done through a presentation given by staff from the University's admissions office. After this one student said: “I learnt something in every activity that we did. Claire was very informative and gave a lot of information that is relevant to my age.” – Bailey Walsh-Coutts, year 10 student.
Secondly, an objective was to orientate students within the University's large Parkville campus and teach them how to use the maps given for this campus, using an Amazing Race created by SALP Group 4. The fact that the students confidently finished the race ahead of time and gave testimonials such as: “I learnt how to get around Melbourne Uni using a map”, demonstrate that this objective has been met.
The last objective was to give students a thorough understanding of life in the city and as a University student. The students also stayed at a residential college, for which many students is an integral part of university, yet for some can be daunting. The students were also exposed to the many different facets of academic life at University, such as chemistry practicals that they wouldn't usually be exposed to at school and presentation skills sessions, which were run in university classrooms. An emphasis was placed on having a balanced lifestyle and thus the students were introduced to Melbourne University sports. Also emphasizing health and sustainable practices, the students used public transport and walked around the city. Melbourne CBD can also be seen as intimidating and so the students walked around the city, experiencing the botanical gardens, laneways for shopping and even being introduced to late night supermarkets and the eateries on Lygon Street. As one student said of his experience “I learnt much about uni life and lifestyle and what living at colleges is like. I know have a much greater grasp of uni and how it works.” – Mitch Henderson, year 10 student.
Students said that they felt less intimidated about coming to Melbourne and more keen about joining the university. This fulfilled the project objective which is to promote Melbourne University and to break down the stereotype of Melbourne City as a big, intimidating place. As the students were asked about how the exchange has changed their view about university, they quoted:
“It (The Melbourne Exchange) has opened up my eyes….. It made me want to go to Uni” – Jane Gould, year 10 student
“I now want to pursue further education at Melbourne Uni” – Jemma Bramley, year 10 student
“It hasn’t really changed my view of uni, just made me more excited and hopeful for my future pursuits hopefully at Melbourne Uni. It has opened my eyes to uni life more than anything, and what’s its like to live and learn there.” – Brydie Lanyon, year 11 student.
1.3 Media
The main objectives of the project in raising awareness of the tourist attractions as well as prospective employment opportunities within the Shire were addressed through the three day exchange. Being a pilot program however, meant only a relatively small group of students were able to directly experience these benefits of the program. SALP Group 4 consequently produced a press release which was distributed to several papers by Marketing & Communications. The articles that were published (including “Flood aid role”, The Loddon Times, published on 11/01/2012) created broader awareness of the Loddon Shire as an agricultural and ecological tourist destination. They also shared participants’ highly favourable experiences of the program with the wider community, and without exception, portrayed the University of Melbourne in a positive light.